A 2017 study by the Refugee Rights Data Project found that one in two refugee women in Greece said they felt unsafe in their camps due to incidents of rape, forced marriage and forced prostitution and trafficking. The idea of a refugee camp is to create a safe haven for those fleeing the dangers of war and persecution, but many refugee women find that they have escaped one form of victimization only to face another. Refugee women are denied the same access to resources as men, are subject to the worst human rights abuses and have little or no legal recourse. Serena Parekh, in Moral Significance of the Refugee Regime, argues that the nature of a refugee camp as an artificial community normalizes violence against women. Exploring this further, I argue that conditions in refugee camps – artificial communities infused with patriarchal social norms, dependent on aid – amplify traditional gender roles and leave women even more vulnerable within them than outside. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay One argument in support of the violence women face in refugee camps is the breakdown of social norms. Even before fleeing their homes, most refugee women face oppression in their daily lives. With the lack of regulations and community support in the camps, the vulnerability to which women are subjected is exacerbated. Human Rights Watch noted in a study of Tanzanian refugee camps that a major cause of sexual violence against women was "... the collapse of traditional social support mechanisms... particularly community support systems for protection of vulnerable individuals". Added to this is the fact that male refugees are also facing a change in their status, as they are no longer able to support their families. This pseudo identity crisis can cause men to prove their masculinity and fulfill their traditional role in society by asserting their dominance over women in the field. The high incidence of domestic violence and the belief that men turn to such belligerence due to the stress of a lack of paid work is linked to the idea that men may attempt to overcompensate if they feel their position in society is being weakened . Domestic violence thus becomes a way to regain power and control. Parekh's argument that "camps are spaces beyond the rule of law," placing them in legal limbo, also contributes to the impunity with which gender-based violence continues in the camps. Host country laws are rarely enforced, justice systems are inefficient and, according to Parekh, sexual violence is often considered too common to require prosecution. This simultaneously reduces protections for women and constraints for men. While the camps technically fall under the legal jurisdiction of the host state, refugee camps are spaces where the law does not apply and even the UNHCR has been unable to protect human rights in the camps. Indeed, government officials and aid workers themselves have been sources of abuse by being complicit in rape and forced prostitution, one of the most notable examples being the collaboration between camp officials and prostitution rings in Tanzania. It is, however, crucial to remember that the plight of refugee women is not exceptional but rather part of a systemic problem that extends far beyond the camps themselves. The concepts..
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